Burnt Hearts
by SpeedofInfinity
Summary: Moriarty and Moran. Together, crime rates shall rise, fear shall reign, and even Sherlock himself will end. But, sentiment and loyalty are proven to be deadly when toyed with, as both of them soon find out. In the midst of advising criminals, eliminating targets, and dealing with the British government itself, though, whose heart will hotly burn, and whose heart will become burnt?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. At all. And, the summary was b****eta read by the ever-insistent ProcrastinationPanda.**

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Chapter 1: Decisions:

Jim Moriarty paced around his flat, racking his brain for something new to entertain himself with. This…this was just too _boring_. He had already finished advising all of his current clients and no new, inexperienced criminals had called him today in the hopes of consulting the most dangerous man in all of London. Exactly what was he to do when all of life's dull normality disgusted him?

Moriarty sneered as he dejectedly threw himself on his armchair, drumming his fingers along the armchair as he scowled in silence. He felt so…_useless_, disgustingly _average_, and utterly _disappointed. _And, even his main distraction had failed to amuse him.

_Sherlock_.

The name itself was enough to provoke a crazed grin from Moriarty, interrupting his pouting.

He had already presented the detective with a relatively simple crime hoping _he_ would have figured it out in a maximum of a day. Apparently, though, his sources promptly informed him that Sherlock had been called to investigate some matters of royal business and was thus swept away by his insufferable brother.

But, oh…._Oh!_ He missed that gleeful feeling he experienced when he knew _Sherlock Holmes_ would be excitedly surveying the crime scene, his emotionless countenance cracking as his excited interest would surface. Moriarty simply closed his eyes and smiled blissfully at the thought of it all.

Sighing, Moriarty straightened up and whipped out his mobile phone and began to call his last resort.

"Sir….What is it now?" a puzzled voice spoke from the other side.

"Ah, Jasper," Moriarty drawled. "Have any new clients of mine been mistakenly transferred to your line?"

"…Are you bored again, sir?" said Jasper, essentially Moriarty's…tech support.

"Yes, Jasper. Everything's too _dull_." Moriarty abruptly snapped.

A tired sigh passed through the line. "I'll have access to the bank's records you wanted in fifteen minutes, Moriarty, if that would help alleviate your…situation." Jasper lazily retorted back, unfazed by Moriarty's sudden, violent outburst. "In the meantime, why don't you just find a more…_permanent_ distraction…something like a puzzle that's impossible to solve, or – "

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Jasper. Puzzles are _meant_ to be solved. Shouldn't you know this? You break the puzzles of computers for a _living_, for God's sake." Moriarty dismissively interrupted. "And, while that's theoretically intriguing, I doubt you could think of anything that could entertain me _permanently_."

"—or even a pet. Imagine that…Jim Moriarty, criminal mastermind…cuddling with his pet rabbit…Ha…" Jasper rambled on, not even listening to his employer's remarks.

"Oh, _shut up_, Jasper…Aren't you supposed to be electronically breaking into that bank? I'll need it for my client in a few days…He's robbing his first bank soon. It's such an ordinary act, even for a criminal, but nonetheless – " Moriarty began to say.

"Moriarty, _please_. I'm sitting around just like you are this very second. Breaking through all these encryptions and firewalls takes time, you know." Jasper threw back.

Moriarty rolled his eyes. How did he even manage to find such a garrulous tech support? Surely there were more silently submissive ones out there…

"That's not the same. But…what? Wait…what did you say about having a pet?" Moriarty asked, furrowing his brow.

"Oh, you're listening to me now? A _pet_, Sir. You know. It lives with you…runs around doing whatever you want…something that protects you if it's a larger ani—" Jasper said.

"…That's it! A pet! Oh…Why didn't I think of this sooner? I _knew_ there was some other reason I was keeping you around instead of killing you already!" Moriarty exclaimed.

"Well, thanks, sir. I'm glad to know that I am worth enough to you to not be killed." Jasper grumbled.

"And, even Sherlock has one! _Sherlock_ himself! Haven't you seen that little man tottering around next to him? That's it! If Sherlock's pet…John…could attract the attention of Sherlock Holmes himself, then of course a pet is going to entertain me!" Moriarty excitedly rambled.

"A…_human_ pet? But, that's not how pets work, sir." Jasper said.

"Of course that's how it works. Ordinary people have _boring_ pets…like dogs and cats…But, me? I want a _human_ pet. That should be fun…" Moriarty contentedly said.

OoOoOo

Sebastian Moran trudged along a grimy street, pulling his coat tighter to himself as harsh winds blustered against him. He had just finished the latest of his few jobs, and now, he needed a drink.

A particularly woman, a CEO of some sort with quite a some of money, had caught her husband cheating. He never knew how she managed to contact him, but nonetheless, she asked him to…rid herself of her husband for some money. To Moran, killing someone out of raging jealousy was a bit…harsh. He knew many people who had been unfaithful, but their furious partners haven't killed them.

Humans could be quite unforgiving, couldn't they?

Nevertheless, money was money, and Sebastian, though he hated to admit it, really needed a bit of it. It had only been five months after he was forcibly sent back from the army, and he had been covertly trying to offer his…abilities to anyone who would be willing to pay.

To be honest, it was quite hard to publicly advertise your abilities to kill anyone, and Sebastian had a bit of trouble finding regular clients to support himself with.

Pushing open a battered door of a shady bar, The Scarlet Fox, Moran entered and walked towards the bartender. Inside, living up to its name, a few red lamps illuminated the dark bar, their crimson lights casting eerie shadows on the leering customers huddled over their drinks while the head of a stuffed fox hung over the front of the main bar.

"One beer, please." Sebastian curtly ordered.

The bartender simply nodded and went to fill up a glass before bringing it back to him. Sebastian muttered a quiet thanks and laid some money at the counter before walking towards a fireplace with his drink.

He sat down, took a sip, and stared at the fire as it crackled and popped among the wood.

"Long day?" a man suddenly said, interrupting the silence as he plopped down in a chair opposite of Sebastian.

Sebastian's eyes flickered towards him and back again to the dancing flames before he merely shrugged.

"Ah…not the conversing type. I see." The man grinned, wagging a finger at Sebastian.

Sebastian merely through him a cold look before returning to his drink.

"Ah…you're one of _those_ criminals…The silent guard dogs? Or are you hired muscle running around for different masters?" the man pressed.

"Careful…Not everyone is a hardened criminal here…Sometimes we have a straggler in the wrong place…" Moran said, eyeing a smiling silver haired man who had just bought a particularly large glass of beer.

"Have you heard about the offer?" the man said, waving Sebastian's comment off as he leaning closer to him. Sebastian indifferently looked at him before shaking his head.

The man pulled out a folded paper from his pocket and smoothed it out.

"But, it's blank. Where's this offer?" Sebastian asked, tilting his head as he looked at the white paper devoid of any words or pictures.

"That's just it. A few men have been circulating these papers around all of London's crime rings…They said that whoever can figure out what it says is worthy enough to be considered for a position for some major crime lord." The man said.

"Have you tried holding it up to a light? Dabbing a bit of water on it? Or anything at all?" Sebastian asked, taking the paper from the man and examining closer.

"That's just it…Everyone I've talked to have tried everything they know…The message just won't show up, and the paper has not responded to…to light or even water like you said." The man stated as he leaned back in his chair, taking another swig of his drink.

Sebastian looked at the flickering flames next to him and swiftly moved the paper up above it.

"What are you doing?" the man concernedly asked, shooting out of his seat, making a grab for the paper.

"Trying something new…You never tried heat, did you?" Sebastian nonchalantly said, moving the paper away from the man.

"Oh…you've figured it out… Good on you! No one's been able to do it…" the man said, peering at the paper as colors and lines began forming as the fire heated it up.

Sebastian said nothing but merely gazed at the previously blank picture.

The applied heat had revealed a hidden picture. A giant, black spider sat at the top of the page, lounging on a large web that weaved across the page. An hourglass as red as freshly spilled blood was drawn into the spider, and seemingly random lines tangled through the weaves in a seemingly random pattern. A red dot was casually placed in a corner, and in the middle of the page, red words splashed across the page.

_Who wants to play with the spider?_

_-JM_

"Moriarty?" the man incredulously said, widening his eyes at the advert. "Why would he want a new operative working for him?

"Ah, I forget…" the man said. "You're relatively new to London crime nowadays, yeah?"

Sebastian merely nodded, still gazing upon the large spider and the bold, red hourglass.

"Moriarty…where to begin? Every self-respecting criminal knows him, and _everyone_ knows he's dangerous…the most dangerous man in all of London. With one command, whole companies have toppled, people have disappeared, and many have died." The man whispered, leaning closer to Sebastian, who wrinkled his nose, as he smelled bitter alcohol off the other man's breath.

"I take it he's not to be trifled with. But, are you going to apply to this…whatever he wants?" Sebastian said, taking the brochure from the man.

"Me? Are you crazy? I don't want to _die_, for God's sakes!" the man exclaimed.

Sebastian shrugged. "I thought I might as well give it a go. There's no harm in trying." Sebastian stated, taking a sip of his drink.

"_Trying_? Oh my God there's so much harm in that. If you don't get the position, you'll most likely _die_." The man harshly whispered, his spit flying everywhere.

Sebastian thought about everything in his life at the moment. No one else had managed to track him down and give him a new assignment, so money was definitely going to be an issue in about a few months after the money he earned from today's hit dwindled….

…What else did he have to lose?

If he kept on living like this…well…he didn't know how much longer he could survive.

Sebastian leaned back in his seat in deep thought and stared at the spider. "So now…The only question is…Where can I find this Moriarty?" He calmly said to the flabbergasted man as he coolly downed his remaining alcohol.


	2. Chapter 2: The Spider Himself

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything. At all.**

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Chapter 2: The Spider Himself

Sebastian needed to figure out where he could find the elusive criminal before he changed his mind. On the back of the advert was a small date set three days away.

Three days to find Moriarty.

On the first day, Sebastian Moran was completely unsure of how he would ever locate him. He had tried everything and stared at the advert for ages before giving up for the day. On the second day, though, after venturing out a bit and meandering around the busy streets of London, everything clicked.

The entangled lines behind the web represented a map of London itself, Moran found, and the red dot placed in a seemingly random place on the graphic was where the meeting would take place.

And, so here he was on the third day, waiting with three other people in an abandoned warehouse for Moriarty himself. One man badly dressed stood, though he looked around the warehouse with an expression of expectance and pride. Another leaned against a large crate, his eyes staring off into nowhere as he unconsciously flexed his bulky muscles over and over again. The last man simply slumped against the wall sitting with his legs crossed as he squirmed nervously.

They had all come to play with the spider, it seemed.

For a while, Sebastian thought Moriarty would not show up. They had been waiting for hours with no sign of the man. A few moments later, though, sound echoed throughout the warehouse, as a voice broke the silence.

"Well, well, well…So, only four of all you fellow criminals have been smart enough to find me here…Or brave enough at least." The voice with an Irish lilt playfully called out.

Sebastian looked around, hoping to find the source of the resonating words before a well-dressed, young man strode out from behind the boxes of the warehouse and began to walk towards the small group.

This was…Moriarty?

…What?

The man himself did not look like the most dangerous man in London other criminals had so frightfully described. He wore a charming smirk across his face and currently brushed off nonexistent particles of dust off of his meticulously tailored suit. Not to mention, he practically bounced off the balls of his feet like an impatient child as he trod towards them all.

But, then Sebastian took one look at the man's eyes and realized that, yes…there could be no other man in London capable of what he has done.

His eyes were dead. That was it. Though he smiled a frivolous smile, the smile did not quite meet his eyes. Oh, yes…His eyes appeared so lifeless, as if all pity had been drained from him.

_This_ was _the _Moriarty whom all criminals feared and loathed.

"Well done. You've found me." Moriarty said to the four men a few feet away from him as he clapped. "And you _all_ want the position I'm offering. This should be exciting. Why don't we get started, then?"

"You." Moriarty commanded, pointing a finger at the trembling young a few feet from Sebastian after sweeping his eyes across the whole group. "Why don't we have a chat?"

The man took a tentative step forward, trembling, and followed Moriarty himself into a room before the door shut, leaving Sebastian to only speculate what was going to happen in there.

OoOoOo

"What's your name, then?" Moriarty asked.

"George, sir." The man said.

"George. So…what exactly can a young boy like you do? In terms of crime…I mean." Moriarty asked. He swept a calculating look at George. He was quite…young and twitchy. How could someone like him be involved in criminal affairs?

"I…I'm good at hacking into computer systems. If you gave me a few days, I could access any bank you wished."

"Yes, well…Fortunately, I've already got one of t_hose_." Moriarty dismissed, waving a hand at him.

"Well…well, maybe you could use another one! I-I'm rather good at what I do, so you can rely on me." George pleaded, earning a distasteful look from Moriarty. "_Please_…Please…I need this job…My mother's got cancer, and we can't pay for her treatment. I would do _anything_ for her, so _please_." George pleaded.

"Oh, George…In this world, you just _can't_ be bothered to care about anything at all. It gets in the way and complicates things far too much." Moriarty stated, clucking his tongue disapprovingly.

"But, that's my _mom_….Of _course_ I'm going to care…But, would you at least give me a chance?" George said, looking up hopefully.

"Fair enough…I'll skip to the fun part." Moriarty said, pulling out a small knife. "Have you… ever experienced pain so agonizing that your ability to do anything was destroyed?" Moriarty asked, ignoring George as he studied the knife's blade carefully.

"I…can't say I have, sir." George said, looking cautiously at the weapon.

Moriarty moved the weapon closer, causing George to flinch and edge away. "Me, too, but we _all_ have experienced minor pains and cuts, haven't we?" Moriarty said. He then quirked his lips before quickly cutting the side of George's neck, causing the man to yell, ragged shrieks filling the air.

"Eh. That wasn't too agonizing, but God look how hard you screamed! See? This is what happens when things get too fun…I get my hands dirty." Moriarty said, laughing lightly as he took out a handkerchief and wiped his finger.

George remained frozen, shock and fear evident on his terrified countenance. Moriarty raised the knife and brought the knife down once more to gauge the poor man's reaction without touching him this time. George whimpered pathetically, his eyes shut tightly as blood continued to drip down his neck.

"Oh, just look at me. Look at me!" he snapped, losing his patience. George inhaled short, shallow breaths before summoning all of his courage to force his closed eyes to open. Moriarty's life was centered around crime and unavoidable violence. How was he to function while having George as a pet if the own man couldn't even stand being cut or being hurt?

"You're so _paranoid_. Such…paranoia keeps things interesting and men sharp, but…really? How do you expect me to work with such a…fidgety human like you?" Moriarty derisively said, lowering the knife.

OoOoOo

After he had sent out a sniveling George, a man named Eric briskly walked in. Moriarty raised his eyes at him.

"Hired muscle. Yes?" Moriarty judged, glancing at the man's muscles.

"You could say so." Eric said, rolling up the sleeves of his sweater.

"So, what would hired muscle be doing _here_? Shouldn't you be off guarding shady warehouses like these or robbing something?" Moriarty asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I want the money. Your job must pay well, wouldn't it?" Eric said.

"You want _money_…Ah. And, you're willing to do anything to achieve this money. Am I correct?" Moriarty asked.

"Yes." Eric replied.

Hired muscle…Those types were usually quite obedient…if they were given bribes and compensations for their work…But, he was just a bit…dull. Eric sat across from Moriarty and the only thing unforgettable about him was his repulsively glazed stare. Moriarty was absolutely sure there was absolutely _nothing_ worthwhile or interesting in that head, but what would he have to do to make him entertaining?

Moriarty pulled out his blade for the second time today, trying to gauge Eric's reaction. Eric eyed the knife warily, but offered no sign of fear, thinking his possibly future employer would _never_ harm him.

Time to make him react.

Moriarty quickly brought the knife down upon Eric's bare arm, grinning wickedly at the newly spilled blood.

"You…you cut me! What?! You cut _me! _You're _insane!_" Eric bellowed, hastily moving off his chair before backing away from an amused Moriarty.

Ooh. _Now_ things were interesting. If Moriarty _really_ wanted Eric as a pet…would he have to keep cutting him up like this in order for himself to remain entertained?

"I suppose society thinks men like me are, but _I_ think that declared madness is often the most truest sanity in this pitiful world filled with disgusting conformity. It's all a matter of opinion, I'm afraid." Moriarty calmly replied, wiping his bloodied knife with a cloth.

"…That's _it_. I'm leaving! I was bloody mental for coming here in the first place." Eric said, panicking as he looked upon his new wound with horror-stricken eyes, unwilling to believe that Moriarty had so unexpectedly attacked him.

He thought wrong, then.

"Aw. You know what happens when you run, right?" Moriarty said.

"I…I'll…You'll never find me again! I swear! I won't talk…I'll never tell!" Eric begged, stumbling backwards towards the exit.

"I'd like to see you just try…." Moriarty pleasantly laughed. "But for now, _run_."

And, Eric ran, finally ignoring the fresh cut upon his arm as he fled from the room. After all, it's best he enjoy a few hours left of his life before Moriarty would send some men after him anyways…

OoOoOo

Moriarty studied the next man in front of him with revulsion.

A young man dressed in stained clothing sat in front of him, calmly staring back. Though he reeked of uncleanliness and seemed as if he had not washed in weeks, the man held himself up with a certain pride about him.

"So…And you are?" Moriarty said, breaking the silence.

"Malcolm." The man said.

"Right. So, how do you terrorize London?" Moriarty casually asked.

"I oversee the big operations…You heard of that bank robbery that happened a day or two ago? Yeah…I lead my men in there and got in and out…without a trace…The police are baffled. No clue what genius did it. And, that was my _first_ heist….You can kind of say I'm quite the criminal." Malcolm said, a smirk stretching across his face.

Moriarty laughed. "Oh…And, tell me…Did you have a partner? Perhaps…nervous about his first bank robbery?" He asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

"I….yeah…How did you know?" Malcolm asked, his smug grin sliding off his face.

"He consulted me on every single action you and your whole operation you would pull off…What time to strike…How many men to bring…Just…how to stage the perfect robbery and step away perfectly." Moriarty said, closing his eyes as he remembered what he had advised his client.

"No, way! He would've told _me_ about it! _I _planned the whole thing! I've planned it for months! My men trusted me and had full confidence in my fool proof plan. No way." Malcolm protested.

Moriarty pushed himself off his chair and walked towards Malcolm. "Let's see…You've got some unjustified arrogance in you…thinking you're the best at what you do. Well, you're wrong. You're so wrong…This egotism should not even _exist_ in you with your physical filth and your recent…failure." Moriarty accused.

"But, you're arrogant, too! Just look at you, swaggering about like you're the bloody king!" Malcolm gesticulated, spit splaying everywhere as he protested violently.

"Oh, dear me. Arrogance works for _me_. It just doesn't, ah…_suit_ you quite as well." Moriarty said, wiping off the dribbling spit that had landed on his precious suit. "And, besides…Were your men loyal to you? No. Was your partner loyal to you? No. You can't be everything you think you are if even _one_ of your men have even a single _thought_ of disloyalty."

Malcolm fell silent as he averted his gaze as the full weight of the horrible truth crashed upon him. What a horrible revelation…To realize all along that you were absolutely _nothing_….that _no one_ remained steadfastly loyal, never doubting your command.

"I'm bored. We're done here." Moriarty told a shell-shocked Malcolm, dismissing him with a wave. "Send in the last one." He called out to his guards as he felt his pocket for his little knife. What a pity he couldn't use it on this one.

After Malcolm was dragged out, his shocked body limp and unresisting, Moriarty swiveled around in his chair and merely sighed, staring across the room as his chair turned and turned. These humans would not make adequate pets…He hoped the last one would not disappoint him.

OoOoOo

Moriarty pressed a few fingers to his head and hoped that the last person would not be a disappointment. The door of the room creaked open and an impassive man walked in, his face utterly devoid of any inherent expression.

"Sebastian Moran." The man said, taking a seat across Moriarty.

"Hello. Please don't be a bore? I've been quite disappointed so far." Moriarty grumbled resting his cheek upon one of his arms.

"To be fair, aren't you the one that's summoned us all here?" Sebastian asked.

"Well, yes...though I'm not surprised that all of them have failed amuse me." Moriarty said.

"You seem quite volatile. Good criminals are patient and wait however long it takes for the job to be done. If everything loses your attention so quickly, I must wonder how you have earned quite a reputation." Sebastian responded.

"Surely, though, you have heard of what I'm capable of? All the things I've done?" Moriarty said as he rose from his seat, taking out his knife as his attention was momentarily redirected to Sebastian.

"I've heard quite a bit." Sebastian said, eyes flickering to the blade before moving back towards the man in front of him.

Moriarty crouched next to Sebastian, pressing the tip of the blade to his neck. Sebastian remained impassive even as Moriarty traced his protruding veins with the cold metal.

"My, my…I'll give you credit for this so far…" Moriarty chuckled as he leaned closer. "Every single one of the others has cracked. It's funny, you know… all of them displayed…discomfort and even fright when they merely looked at this. But, you? I can't even get a single emotion from your face!"

Moriarty paused, bending down as he peered curiously at Sebastian, who simply stared back, not a single bit of fright resonating from his face "But, how far can I push you? Would you crack just like the others? They screamed…like little girls as soon as I ripped open their skin and warm blood dripped out. You can't even smile!" he exclaimed.

"There is no reason to." Sebastian impassively said.

And, as Moriarty continued to stare deeply into Sebastian's piercing gaze, he smiled before he swiftly brought the blade down, slashing a clean laceration upon the man's face. Sebastian merely blinked, but slowly breathed in and out, forcing himself to ignore the biting pain upon his face.

Moriarty nodded appreciatively as his eyes followed the dripping blood. "Well done. You've been the first today to not be afraid or disappoint me. I applaud _you_."

"I've had worse. This is nothing." Sebastian dismissed.

"I've had worse!" Moriarty mimicked in a singsong voice. "Really? Where? I know…I _know _that such a simple cut is nothing, but I'm curious…Do tell me…Where have you had worse?" He said after dropping his mocking tone.

"Ex-military. You see and experience things while serving far worse than mere knife wounds, I'm afraid." Sebastian replied.

"Oh…I see. Of course. And what were you?" Moriarty asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sniper. And, damn good at it if I must say." Sebastian said.

"Does that mean you're rubbish at close distance combat? What would happen if I set _him_ against you now?" Moriarty said, pointing to one of the two guards in the room.

"I win." Sebastian said, swiftly pulling out a loaded handgun he had brought with him before shooting the mentioned guard in the head.

"Oh, look at you!" Moriarty laughed, clapping his hands together as he turned to look at the dead man. "Look at that! Straight through his head…It was about time I replaced him anyways." He said as he bent down to examine the dead man.

"Is this how quickly you replace your men? In that case, how long are we supposed to last in this new job?" Sebastian solemnly asked.

"I only replace the untrustworthy ones…It's no use trying to run a criminal organization if your own men are disloyal. Would _you_ be loyal if you got this position?" Moriarty offered.

Sebastian shrugged. "Assuming I did, then why would I? It would be rubbish to betray someone who can kill you with a snap of his fingers, wouldn't it?" He threw back.

Moriarty smiled and nodded his head. "You get it...How interesting. It was rather…refreshing to meet you. Why don't you wait outside a bit?"

"Likewise." Sebastian said, the blood still trickling down his face, as he inclined his head towards Moriarty before walking towards the door.

"I can walk myself out. You don't want what happened to _him_, do you?" Sebastian threatened to the guard who had tried to escort him out as he pointed to the dead man upon the floor.

Moriarty tilted his head, deep in thought as he watched Sebastian Moran stride off and out the door.

All these people….these four people..._three_ now, actually… They had all responded quite differently to him, and essentially, all of them actually _could_ entertain him quite permanently….

Some were afraid of him. Some believed he was quite crazy. Others unwisely thought they could possibly be considered equal to him. Others, like that sniper that lingered quite a bit in his mind, remained impassive as they gazed into the face of Moriarty himself without any apparent fear at all…

* * *

**A/N: I do apologize if the two seem a bit out of character. Oh! And, I suppose I never actually told you the backstory to this...story. My friend has challenged me to write a fic with romance, which is something I have always purposely stayed away from. And, here we are. Naturally, I wrote it between two of the most dangerous men of London... We'll see just how badly this will go, eh? :)**


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